NTTA / Overcharging

My bill to the NTTA of $19.65 was (I admit) late. I then sent in my payment and they returned to me saying it had already been submitted to collections. In less then one month it turned into almost $300.00. I could not pay that. In less then 2 months it turned into almost $700.00. They had not only raised it by 34 times the amount owed in 2 months time, but have some kind of arrangement with TXDOT where people are given citations. This leaves people backed in a corner. If you don't pay you go to jail. This is an astronomical amount to punish a person with. I have used the toll way for years now, and where there have been booths I have always paid...even paying twice, because the booth didn't register all my coins. I wonder how much they make just from that alone?

I am a single mom, who works very hard. I obey all laws even the ones I can't seem to agree with. But this is not a law. This is robbing people who have neither time nor money to defend them selves. It makes my stomach turn at the thought that I possibly have warrants out for my arrest, and one day could be taken in, and my daughter is left stranded at child care. How could this be right, how could this be fair, how could this even be viewed by any perspective as fair and just?

I am at a loss as to what to do. This is extremely devastating to my finances. I pay this money to whom exactly and for what reason exactly? I pay, and then I don't pay for rent? I can break the payment up according to the collection agency...then I just don't pay my car payment and water for 2 months is that right? This whole thing really does leave me speechless. I can give the facts but don't know how to express my feeling about this. When I first realized all this I was shaking mad, and couldn't hold back the tears. I can not afford any part of this except for my $20 bucks and a reasonable late fee.

This is what I have learned in researching why they could possibly throw these fraudulent charges. TXDOT refused to let NTTA bid on the toll way. TXDOT and a private company were already in the middle of a deal for the Toll way. Originally TXDOT dismissed NTTA and refused to let them bid for lack of planning if you will. Underhandedly right in the middle of the deal, NTTA works a deal with TXDOT, and now the private company who gave a verbal agreement they would not sue, collects the tolls for the next 50 years. NTTA gets to collect on all the ridiculous late, admin, and whatever else fees, and TXDOT gets the money from all the citations that are wrongfully issued. NTTA had inadequate information when proposing the deal. They did not know how they were going to finance such a loan and now they have finally figured it out...rob the poor some more, and leave them no choice but to give it to them.

The mayor of North Richland Hills is also the rep of TXDOT. There are more then 12, 000 warrants issued in Collin County as a result of NTTA. Although I am not dismissing the fact that some may be earned and rightfully issued, I have a strong feeling that many are not. While we tie up Collin County's Court system, where does the money go? Future Trinity Mills project, expansion of the toll way to outside of Collin County, and lavish vacations to undeserving crooks who know they can get away with it. Mean while I have to sale this crap, excuse my language. If it wasn't at the risk of losing my job I would boycott, picket, and fight to the end against the North Texas Toll way Authority and TXDOT. I would hope that the privatized company that got the short end of the stick would join in on this fight as well. Every day we hear on the news about corporate scandal. How have we let this go for so long?

I have every intention of fighting this, and every intention of paying…with every hope that this will grow into a class action law suit and in the end I will get the money that is rightfully mine back. How can you even be allowed access to a road with no way of turning back once you know there is no way to pay? Might I mention there was no notice that tolls were now being enforced? This, to me is a clear set up and the people responsible for passing this law know it. Trying to cover a mistake, and then learning how to capitalize on it. This isn’t freedom. This is control, and everybody knows it.

Comments

my son worked all summer cleaning carpets in a veh. registered to me. his disregard of bills has now escalated to almost 1000.00 for about 30.00 worth of tolls. now they call dailey and i have now discovered that i am obligated to pay his debt by vertue of the veh. being in my name. would i have to pay if he got a speediing tkt. how can a privaately owned co. ntta put me in a debtor's prison for a debt i did not incur. answer-private/public co-mingling. as you said their board is public officials. i agree a class action lawsuit is forthcoming unless "you can't sue city hall" an article on dallas morn news site. board member vandergriff {name sound familiar} says these exxorbitant fees can not stand. we have all been had!!!stand up fight back!!!e-mail ntta board members state reps. etc. etc. i have now as a last resort chk to see if toll fees can be included in a personal bankruptsy as a last resort.

*****GOOGLE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT NTTA****READ VIEW BYRON HARRIS CHANNEL 8 STORY ON PEOPLE BEING LEAD OFF TO JAIL SEE DALLAS OBSERVER ARTICLE **THE AGE OF BIG HEAVY HANDED PUBLIC PRIVATE CORPORATIONS HAS ARRIVED***FOR YOUR READING PLESURE SEE THE E-MAIL SENT TO NTTA BOARD MEMBER AND OTHERS - This is a copy of an email sent to your board member Victor Vandergriff as well as congressman Kenny Marchant/Gov. Rick Perry?senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson/TX. house Shapiro and while i have just received their initial token response I am in the process of responding to each and every one that yes i require a response other than some form letter and will not go away until this has been addressed!! How a private run politically connected organization can imprison one of their constituents for a debt not incurred by the debtor I WILL NOT CEASE!!! Even your own board member recognizes the consequences of such action. As I searched the web and read horror stories of single moms having to decide wether to pay ntta overcharges and face jail time or make their house pmt. I became enraged!! I will call talk shows investigative reporters continue to hound my "representatives" but I WILL GET JUSTICE!!! I recently read your comments expressing your concern with the amazing fee structure of the NTTA. i very much appreciate your concern that " this type fee structure can not stand" I agree . My 21 yr. old son got a job cleaning carpets this summer using a veh. registered in my name. He incurred 30-50.00 worth of toll chg's which now we are receiving calls requesting approx. 1000.00.w/late fees. While my son is certainly obligated to pay what he owes plus some minimal slap on the wrist 20-30.00 I think should be sufficient.Now with further research I find that the debtor is not responsible for his debts, I am. How can this be. What is going on here?? This "private co." not only has the power but the right to charge me for the debt incurred by another. And if he does not pay or appear I can have a warrant issued for my arrest!!! Well I will not pay and if you do not see the legal implications of such an action maybe my senators/congressmen/st reps will if not i will file personal bankruptcy as a last resort and await the class action that is sure to come. Please don't tread on me. I have nothing but time and I will demand a personal response from my "representatives" I always heard there was no debtors prison but I guess that is false. Is this what the country has to get prepared for in this age of public/private partnerships. We the people have been had and are getting mad!!! In your words "this cannot stand"

****ATTN; AGRESSIVE GUNG-HO ATTORNEYS THE NTTA HAS 13MILLION FORMER CUSTOMERS THAT ARE BEING ABUSED BY SYSTEM THAT CREDIT CARD COMPANYS CAN ONLY ENVY****LOOK INTO THE OUTSTANDING AMTS. OWED THE COLLECTION METHODS BUT MAINLY THE FEES OF 25 TIMES THE ORIGIONAL AMT. OWED

READ THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS TRANSPORTATION BLOG FOR MORE HORROR STORIES ABOUT THE NTTA ABUSE OF IT'S FORMER CUSTOMER'S . AND GET ACTIVE !! RESEARCH WHO WHERE THE STTAE AND LOCAL REPS. WHO ALLOWED TRANSPORTATION CODE 178 SECT. 306 AND VOTE THEM OUT!!!BETTER YET VOTE OUT ALL INCUMBANTS WHO HAVE BROUGHT DOWN OUR ONCE PROUD COUNTRY ARE NOW BROKE AND ATTEMPTING TO BLEED THE LAST REMAING DOLLARS FROM YOU AND ME.

The NTTA sent me to collections for a charge I did not pay in 2007 when I never received the bill. The address they had on file is the address where I was living at the time. I moved later, but had all my mail forwarded by the Post Office, so if they sent a notice at any time during 2007, I would have received it.

When I called to resolve this, I found out I had another one where they said I had not paid a charge from May 2009 and by June 2009 it went from $1.50 to $154.00. They said they got the addresses from the DPS, but then later stated I had on file that I changed my address in April 2009, but the NTTA had not updated their files from the DPS. The only thing would do is reduce my charge to $34.50, even though that was completely their fault for not updating their files.

They kept saying they could not help me because I did not have a Tolltag account. I think this a scam.

What a rip off! We have to do something about this, literal highway robbery. My tolls were a grand total of 25.70, but my bills are 900.70. Are you kidding? My "discounted" rate, is 321.10. A big cut but not right. I have no problem paying my tolls but not the extra fees. So driver beware when driving on the Texas tollways.

PLEASE, everyone needs to contact their representatives!! Whether you have been billed like this or not, whether you went ahead and paid, or whether it is still pending! I drove (please note, PAST TENSE!!) the George Bush tollway every day to go to work. I live 60 miles from my work, and have a family of 4 to support myself on little pay (however not nearly as little as I'd been offered closer to home!), therefore one toll each way was worth it to me for the convenience and the saving of time taking Bush gave me. Before they started saving a hell of a lot of money by canning all of the people in the toll booths (I have to assume this is what happened), and took away my option to pay right there, I paid EVERY DAY. Twice a day. WITHOUT FAIL. Since I work and my husband is not working (attempting to get on disability, for which some of us apparently have to be dead before we receive it), I leave the bills to him to pay. So, this particular bill (for $20) got missed, and a month or so later we receive another for $545! Imagine our surprise! If we were to pay within a WEEKS time, we would be GRACED with a "discounted amount" of almost $200. Well, frankly, I can't pull $200 out of my behind, much less $545, so my husband called, they said there was nothing they could do. A couple of days later I called myself, made it apparent I was unhappy about this, and the little gal on the phone says, "There isn't anything I can do, but do you want to talk to a supervisor?". "That would be great.", I say in my flattest voice. So, miraculously the supervisor was able to knock my charges down to $76. HOWEVER, when asked what those charges were for, good ol' Joe couldn't tell me! I said, so essentially you can cut out everything but three "administrative fees"? (This is what they are calling the $25 charge added to EACH toll for being late, so that tells me it takes a hell of a lot of money to print out ONE extra bill!) His response was, if you want to look at it that way, yes. ??? Seriously? You might as well tell me, Joe, that you just want extra money, and quite a bit of it, just to print an extra bill! In the meantime, my husband had contacted our local representative, Phil King. His office lady there, after hearing there was no longer a way to pay daily as I'd done before, got this taken care of, and we were only made to pay the $20 that were rightful charges! Again, please contact your reps, maybe they can get your bills taken down to what is reasonable, and maybe if we all do our part we can get them to make a law against corporations raping people like this. How many people have gone without electricity, or unable to pay their rent because they were afraid they'd go to jail if they didn't pay $500 or more?! If you have been charged like this, I wish you all the luck, and pray you all contact your reps!

I am so angry with the NTTA! I too have a bill for $6.40, and now that it was not paid 3 days ago my discounted rate to pay is $88.90! If i do not get that paid soon I have to pay $256.40!! OUTRAGOUS how in the world are they getting away with this??? They took all the cash machines out to save them money, whatever it was to make more money on the public by robbing them blind!! I will avoid the George Bush at all times!! The name says it all!!!

They are horrible. I, too, am a single mother busting my butt to take care of 4 kids. That makes me, um, kind of "busy" and because I am a week late paying tolls, $9.24 has ballooned to $300.00. I will definitely complain to my state representative. I heard Kay Bailey Hutchison wants to reform TXDOT, I hope she runs for governor.

MY TOLLS ARE 97.80 THE BILL 2, 597.80 THE DISCOUNT 347.80 DUE BY 11/13. i just got the bill last night. i feel that i do owe the tolls which date back to 2007 but talk about rape! these fees are just INSANE. how can they get away with even putting these numbers on paper??

I am struggling to provide for my daughter and I am 8 mo prego, due in 3 weeks. The last thing i want to do is concentrate on such a stupid ### bill but if i don't i could have my baby in jail right?? thats what their scare tactic is. don't pay, go to collections, get a citation from DPS and go to jail.

this is soooo frustrating because why can't we just pay the money we rightfully owe in tolls plus ONE admin fee for their time to send the damn bill. This is the FIRST bill i ever got and it will be my last. I am going to try to find out who to contact to appeal the bill and admin fee before it goes to collections.

I HATE NTTA THEY ARE RAPIST HIDING BEHIND THE GOV. AND DPS TO SCARE PEOPLE INTO FORKING OUT THEIR RENT AND UTLITIY MONEY FOR BULL$H!T FEES.

If a tollway fine is like a traffic ticket, why do they use a private collection agency? I'm filing bankruptcy and consider them just like any other creditor. Where is the law that includes the NTTA as a traffic fine?

Okay I am totally peeved too! I received my FIRST bill ever from NTTA for using the Tollway and it was $441.95 based on a $16.95 charge in tolls. My main question is how can they access all the fees and never give the customer a notice in the first place? It was my understand that all toll roads were now under the zip cash policy...guess not. I had a charge all the way back from April that was never billed, until now...so I should have been able to pay but couldn't because I did not know I owed anything. Has anyone heard if we can do anything?

Ok people. Listen up. Don't give in to their scare tactics. You cannot be arrested. If they were standing on such solid ground they wouldn't:

a. "reduce" their charges so easily when you call in.
b. place your billing with a collection agency (which I would bet a $25 administrative fee is actually the NTTA).

Don't pay these sham bills. They know their tactics work. Just say no. I have been going back and forth with them since June. I respond to each letter with a resounding NO! Begging them to take me to court. They refuse. They know they will lose in court.

They also don't want the publicity that comes with throwing people in jail, having single moms deliver in county lock up, etc. This would make them look very bad.

You and I know that there is a class action coming. Trust me on this. In the meantime:

STAY OFF OF THE FREAKING TOLL ROADS AT ANY COST!!!

Also, please email me. Want to start organizing. The bigger WE ARE the STRONGER WE BECOME. We need to fight this. Email is ntta_boycott@yahoo.com. Will put together a facebook page soon.

Same story for me: This is the first notice i've received. Toll charges are $11.25 (over half are from Oct.& Nov.) but w/ the $25 admin fee per charge (which had i known would be charged to me, i would've gone the long way around for certain), charges total: $225.
I am unemployed right now and am lucky if i'm able to pay my regular bills, much less something like this.

I'm boycotting.

This is B.S. and they know it. I bet the big ups at the NTTA are sitting pretty in their monster houses right now while the rest of us bend over and let them give it to us good.

The longer we keep just bending over and taking it, the more the NTTA will know they can keep getting our money by scaring us into it.

I have no problem paying my $11.25 tolls and even some small fees for the postage for not paying at the booth (even tho i wasn't able to because they were unmanned and since i'm from out of town, i didn't plan ahead with scads of quarters), but i refuse to pay these ungodly fees. This is not right and we need to collectively do something about it.